Japan, Australia Tie Up On Hydrogen Supply For Asia

Japan has announced the launch of a hydrogen supply chain with Australia as the two countries and Southeast Asian nations gathered for their first ministerial meeting on the reduction of carbon emissions in the fast-growing region.

Photo Insert: A total of 11 nations will be joining AZEC.

In a video message for the meeting on the Asia Zero Emission Community framework, an initiative proposed by Japan, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he would like to expand hydrogen supply chain networks throughout the region by cooperating further with Asian nations, Kyodo News reported.

"In Asia, we should hold as many energy options as possible, and hydrogen and ammonia are options," he said, underscoring hydrogen could be a valuable source of energy in making clean energy transitions, especially in a region prone to natural disasters, Mainichi Japan also reported.

In a joint statement issued after the one-day meeting in Tokyo, a total of 11 nations joining AZEC said they "recognize that accelerating the energy transition in the Asian region is key to achieve the goals" of the Paris international accord to tackle climate change.

Japan is pitching new decarbonization technologies, such as using hydrogen and ammonia in thermal power generation and carbon dioxide capture. It has also called for carbon neutrality while securing a stable energy supply amid an energy crisis triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

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